Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Weightlessness: Patriot Turns 20

 With 2026 being the  Semiquincentennial or 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and founding of the United States of America, it seems more than appropriate that we are also celebrating Patriot’s 20th anniversary this year. Patriot opened to the public 20 years ago today, on April 8, 2006. Tagged the “American Scream,” Patriot was announced in September 2005, and was, at the time, the largest capital expenditure on a single attraction in Worlds of Fun's history at a cost of $14 million, a title it still claims today.

KC Star September 5, 2005

Jeff Mast, my husband, was interviewed by the Kansas City Star for the announcement of Patriot in September 2005. He tells the story that he received no advance notice that he was going to get the call, but it woke him up one morning, and, groggy and tired, he gave the quote the paper used… “It’s a biggie”. It was amusing to see that the next morning! Back in 2005, when Patriot was announced, Orient Express had been removed two years earlier, Spinning Dragons was incorrectly identified as its replacement, and everyone still wanted a coaster from the then golden child of the amusement industry, the Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). B&M was the hot fan ticket, which maybe a Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) or Vekoma would be today. Back then, Vekoma was practically a dirty word; RMC hadn’t even built its first coaster yet. Everyone remembered how rough and painful Orient Express was, and a smooth-as-silk, B&M seemed just the ticket to replace it. 

Track arrives at Worlds of Fun early September 2005

I, and many others who were alive and old enough to remember, can vividly recall the photos of B&M track showing up with the labels “WOF” at the Ohio steel fabrication plant that B&M used for its domestic coasters in June 2005. It was our first clear sign that the next B&M was headed to Worlds of Fun. The track itself would show up at the park in September 2005, just in time for the announcement. 

Like so much of Cedar Fair’s operating years at Worlds of Fun, the announcement of Patriot can be described as more than what we expected, not as much as we hoped. I remember seeing the layout the night before it was announced. I still remember feeling… underwhelmed. I had hoped that something of Orient Express would live on in this new coaster, a boomerang element or hope of hopes, interlocking loops. I had to remind myself that it was still the big new coaster we said we wanted, it was still a B&M. We were still excited.

Billboard from March 2006

Patriot followed the Cedar Fair coaster blueprint… figure out what you do best and repeat, repeat, repeat. It worked extremely well for Mamba, which is quite similar to its slightly younger sister, Steel Force at Dorney Park. Following that trend, Patriot is also very similar to the Dorney Park coaster Talon, at least in regards to layout. 

This photo of the lift (taken in 2025) shows the elevation change between the base of the lift and first drop 

Fly over the station offers some rare airtime on an inverted coaster. Photo from 2025

The Immelmann element, taken 2022

As many will mention, there are some differences, though. Patriot has a lift height of 149 feet and a first drop of 123 feet. Due to the elevation changes, Talon is considerably different, and Patriot is actually only 1 foot shorter in lift height than Montu, one of B&M’s best inverted coasters (Busch Gardens Tampa). The inversion lineup with Talon is virtually identical: tall vertical loop, Zero-G roll, Immelmann, and Corkscrew. Having ridden both, I can definitely attest to a different ride experience. Patriot’s Zero-G roll is probably the only truly weightless Zero-G roll I’ve been on, and Patriot is also one of the only inverted coasters I can recall experiencing airtime on (in the inclined curve over the station). Patriot is definitely a good coaster for what it is, no doubt.

Here you see the old road that separates Patriot from the old footprint of Orient Express (taken 2024)

A common question asked about Patriot is where it stands, land-wise, compared to Orient Express. Simple statement, but Spinning Dragons, Patriot, and Orient Express could have physically ALL co-existed; none of them are built on any of the other ride footprints. Patriot actually stands on the opposite side of the roadway that serviced the park trams when Americana was the main gate, while Orient Express stood on the other side of the same roadway. If you look while riding, you can still see the roadway in question very easily from the lift hill.  

Park marketing director Chris Ozemick at media day April 6, 2006. 

Patriot would host its media day on Thursday, April 6, 2006, and while the rides would start off a bit sleepy, it would warm up well throughout the day. Jeff was there super early (if I recall, around 4 a.m.) to provide media coverage for early-morning media deadlines. I slept in, but did end up riding it several times that day. Patriot would open to the public on April 8, 2006, and its opening was as glorious as we all hoped it would be, rather reminiscent of the openings of other top-tier Worlds of Fun coasters over the years. As fans, 20+ of us gathered at Falcon’s Diner at Ameristar for breakfast, which was paid for by Cedar Fair COO Jack Falfas and CEO Dick Kinzel (it wasn’t planned that way!). Those of us who were there still talk about it!  The opening at the park included a ribbon cutting featuring park GM Phillip Bender, the previously mentioned Cedar Fair CEO and COO, Park marketing director Chris Ozemick, and park PR director Nick Guevel. 

Cutting the ribbon with CEO Dick Kinzel, Park GM Phil Bender and park PR manager Nick Guevel 

From left to right, CEO Dick Kinzel, GM Phil Bender, VP of planning and design Robert Decker and COO Jack Falfas.

20 years later, what is the legacy of Patriot? I think the answer is at least somewhat similar to Mamba's.  A whole new ADULT generation can’t remember a Worlds of Fun without Patriot. Many of us who grew up with the Orient Express always being on that skyline when we arrived at the park are seeing a generation that has always seen Patriot instead. Without trying, Father Time has seen that Patriot has become an accepted member of the Worlds of Fun coaster pantheon. Guests often comment on how it has become its own rite of passage, conquering their coaster fears, and of the nonstop screaming throughout the entire ride. I can personally recall the endless stream of broken cell phones and other oddities (I found a half-barbie doll and a yarmulke once) that covered the ground around the ride.

One of my favorite photos I took this in October of 2019.

There is a quote from Benjamin Franklin that states that the golden age is never the present age. Meaning it takes years and time for an experience or a ride to truly be appreciated. Enough time passes, and that new, state-of-the-art scream machine becomes just another family member or a good friend.  I think the stories that we all have had with Patriot will be in the end JUST as poignant as those with Omegatron or Orient Express, or even Zambezi Zinger, but like those rides 30-40 years ago, it takes time to develop that relationship, and as such, I thought I would share a few of my personal stories with Patriot. 

This was my lead, Ariel (like the Little Mermaid), Taken Nov 2, 2008. Hyped up on sugar. 

I would work on the Patriot crew in 2008, for the full season, starting with the early spring lift walk, and culminating in Haunt when I made cut-out cardboard tombstones for the station of all the defunct coasters at the park at the time (it’s worth noting that no new defunct coasters have been added to the list since then). The best memory that year is odd… Patriot almost didn’t open on opening day, or even the first few months of the season, due to a broken part that had to be manufactured and shipped from Switzerland. The Sprag Bearing. Many of us on the Patriot crew that year were cross-trained, with me being trained on Timber Wolf (it was the only time I’ve ever driven Timber Wolf), but the part came at the 11th hour, was installed, and the park started cycling it the day before opening day. Opening day was cold, and flurries flew through the air, but Patriot ran because it was all warmed up from running through the night before. I remember standing by the entrance to the ride, talking with guests, bringing up the old Cotton Blossom, which had been removed only about 10 years earlier. 

My second-best memory of Patriot was watching the online video of the ride being repainted in November 2019. I even dug that same video up from seven years ago! It was a true testament to Worlds of Fun not taking the cheap, easy route of repainting a ride. The white stripe, which had been so much of the ride's identity, wasn’t just painted over, but was HAND re-painted for the entire length of the track.  

GM Phil Bender with B&M engineer Walter Bolliger (The Bolliger in B&M). 

The stripe wasn’t even originally the only patriotic element Patriot was designed with, when we interviewed Robert Decker, former Senior VP of Planning and Design at Cedar Fair many years ago, right after Patriot’s opening, he shared with us that Patriot was originally designed to also have white stars running up the blue support columns, they were cut, not due to budget, but they felt it might have been overkill. Looking back at the detail in repainting the stripe, I have to wonder if the stars had indeed made it, if they would have survived the re-painting as well.  

Twenty years ago, I wrote an editorial entitled “How far we have come”, a short look at the introduction of Patriot and how it reflected on the prior eight years that preceded it in park history. Patriot was a breath of fresh air then. After the removal of so many rides and attractions, it was a bright new technological terror being added, brand new and shining, for a change. Today, Patriot is just as integral a part of Worlds of Fun’s skyline as Orient Express was or Mamba is even today. It’s worth remembering that, at 20 years old, Orient Express had only a few short years left in operation. I think Patriot will be around for a lot longer than that, because, as the old 2006 commercial line says, Patriot rocks. 

Happy New Years 2026! A look forwards at Worlds of Fun anniversaries this year!

First, let me apologize for the delay. I usually post this on January 1st, but due to being sick, I didn’t get anything done for several days, which is why there's a delay. Back in 2018, inspired by CPFoodBlog I started the annual tradition of a blog looking at the anniversaries for the coming season. In our case, we stick with the 5-year anniversaries, so 5th, 10th, 15th, and so on. For the first time ever, we have a 55th anniversary this year! So let’s begin.

Byron Gash concept art for Worlds of Fun from 1971

55th anniversary: 1971, Park Announcement and Ground Breaking 

No, the park didn’t open 55 years ago, but it officially came into being 55 years ago with its official announcement, naming, and groundbreaking that all occurred in 1971. On August 4th, 1971, Lamar Hunt and Mid-America Enterprises gathered over 200 local dignitaries and businessmen at the Commerce Tower in Kansas City to announce “phase one” of a massive amusement complex in the Northland. The park, which was officially given a name on this date, “Worlds of Fun” would be a 140-acre theme park with separate American, European, Scandinavia, Africa, and Oriental themed sections.

A few months later, on November 10th, Mid-America Enterprises shifted gears to the actual Clay County site and officially broke ground for the park with the release of 3,000 helium balloons, complete with two tickets for the inaugural season. While the August date introduced Kansas City to the name “Worlds of Fun” the November event would introduce the iconic hot air balloon logo. 

You can read more about these two events in blogs I wrote for their 50th anniversary:

Worlds of Fun's Announcement on August 4th, 1971: http://unwof.blogspot.com/2021/08/august-4th-1971-2021-its-worlds-of-fun.html

Worlds of Fun Ground Breaking on November 10th, 1971: http://unwof.blogspot.com/2021/11/1971-2021-50-years-ago-fun-began.html

Promotional advertisement for 1976. Factoid, that isn't even Screamroller, its the Knott's Berry Farm Corkscrew.

50th Anniversary 1976, Screamroller and Bicentennial Square

On May 26, 2026, Worlds of Fun will turn 53 years old, in the midst of its 54th season. That means that nearly every year for the next decade will have a major expansion celebrating a 50th anniversary. This year, though, we celebrate that first big coaster expansion with Screamroller and Bicentennial Square. As the 5th version of the Arrow Development Corkscrew model, it wasn’t very impressive by today’s standards, 70 feet tall, 1,200 feet of track, and less than a minute for the entire ride experience. Still, Screamroller offered an amazing, if short, thrill ride that most in the area had never seen, let alone experienced!  Bicentennial Square would surround Screamroller with a 3.5-acre expansion and include the largest games area in the entire park. Calamity Games would offer traditional midway games, Uncle Sam’s Skeeball Hall offered 48 lanes of skeeball, making it the largest skeeball game collection in the Midwest, and New Funtier Arcade offered what many papers described as an “updated version of the penny arcade”. While Screamroller would be removed in 1988 and replaced by Timber Wolf in 1989, Bicentennial Square and its 5,000 square feet of gaming would last until 2018, when Skeeball Hall, Calamity Games, and New Funtier Arcade were retired and re-used as part of Haunt.

Screamroller 40th Anniversary blog: http://unwof.blogspot.com/2016/04/screamroller-40-years.html

Byron Gash concept art for Incred-O-Dome

45th Anniversary 1981, Incred-O-Dome, Le Grand Prix, Udder Delights, The Casbah, Victrix Lake Boats

1981, many times ended up in the shadow of the 1980 season, which would introduce the immortal Orient Express. Still, 1981 would give Worlds of Fun fan atleast one beloved attraction, Incred-O-Dome. Incred-O-Dome was a bright yellow dome located originally in the Aerodrome, but it would last through the transition to Pandamonium in 1987. For most of its lifetime, it would be home to a theater-based thrill attraction, projected on its 180-degree, 40 by 26 foot screen would be 70 mm video of car chases, helicopter rides, and roller coaster rides. Originally opening with a capacity of 900 to 1,200 an hour (the number varies based on the source), guests would experience it originally standing up, but over the years, with its waning popularity, it would become a cool, dark spot to lie down on the carpet that over the years had developed its own unforgettable smell. Incred-O-Dome was removed after the 1997 season and replaced by Scrambler until 2014.

1981 would also introduce several other notable additions, including the Le Grand Prix car driving game in Europa and remote control Victrix Lake boats in Scandinavia. Casbah Games would be introduced in Africa and Udder Delights a turn-of-the-century ice cream parlor in Americana. Udder Delights would be renovated into a full-service restaurant in 1995 (Blue Bronco).

Concept art for Omegatron

40th Anniversary 1986, Omegatron

Bicentennial Square would expand from a neo-Victorian theme to a more futuristic look with Omegatron in 1986. Manufactured by Vekoma International of the Netherlands (the same company that manufactured Boomerang), it is what is known as a Vekoma Skyflyer. Though there are MANY similar rides, manufactured by other companies that still operate in carnivals and amusement parks worldwide, the Skyflyer was fairly rare and is almost extinct today. The downfall of Omegatron and all Skyflyers was poor ride design. The brakes on the ride were too small, making for extremely long ride cycles and very low rider throughput. Omegatron would be retired after the 2001 season and scrapped after the 2003 season. It was replaced by Thunderhawk in 2002. 

Concept art for Beat Street 

Beat Street from 1999

35th Anniversary 1991, Beat Street, Rockin Reeler and Skyliner, Crocodile Isle at Oceans of Fun

Until now, we have only covered defunct rides. Finally.. We reach a season that has an existing ride, 1991. 1991 saw not the introduction of a new area, but the re-theme of an older one, a trend that had started in 1987 with the re-theme of Aerodrome to Pandamonium. In 1991, though it was River City to Beat Street, a switch from River Wharf themed area to Coney Island meets 1990’s pop music with a few carny rides thrown in. Along with Beat Street came another Worlds of Fun prop, the short-lived beloved ride, known as Rockin’ Reeler, a Reverchon Himalaya ride which would operate until 2005 (today River City Grill is located in its spot). The second “new” addition was a ride very unlike Rockin’ Reeler, one that just won’t die, though many would love to simply just push it over… Skyliner, an ELI Bridge Ferris Wheel.  It’s still there. Operating. Sometimes. I put “new” in quotes because neither Reeler nor Skyliner was bought new; both were bought as used rides.

Things were a bit more shiny at Oceans of Fun, where Crocodile Isle, a 2,000 square foot water playground for children, would replace the original kids’ water play area, Knee Hai/Belly Hai. 

Detonator concept art

30th Anniversary 1996, Detonator and Ripcord

The first new rides added to Worlds of Fun by Cedar Fair, Detonator and Ripcord, still both operate in the park. Detonator was, at its time, fairly unique, as the first permanent installation of an S&S power shot tower at any amusement park, and was the first twin tower S&S shot tower anywhere. Following Detonator’s success, S&S launch towers would be added at nearly every park nationwide, with Cedar Fair adding the 300-foot Power Tower just two seasons later in 1998. Detonator has several stories associated with it, a favorite is the “case of the ever-shrinking Detonator”. When Detonator was announced, it was advertised to be 200 feet tall. Two years later, when Mamba was announced, the press release for Mamba included other Worlds of Fun rides shown for height scale. At that time, Detonator was listed as 187 feet tall. The truth is that the actual shot towers are 187 feet tall, with the 200 feet being accomplished by the addition of the flag pole on top.

Ripcord would premiere the same season, but not until May. Ripcord was the first pay-extra attraction in Worlds of Fun history, and would be followed by Grand Prix Raceway in 1999 and The Rock Climbing Wall in 2000 (both of which are now defunct). In an interesting twist, Ripcord is not actually owned by Cedar Fair/Six Flags, but is on a long-term lease from Skycoaster Company LLC. There have been rumors recently that Ripcord may be on borrowed time, as parks have been removing them over recent years, but there has not been anything officially announced as of this time. 

Camp Snoopy entrance

25th Anniversary 2001, Camp Snoopy Camp Bus and Woodstock’s Airmail are added

The spur off of Americana in the western side of the park has been through a variety of transitions over the years, from Aerodrome in 1978 to Pandamonium in 1987 to Bearenstain Bear Country in 1997. The next re-theme would occur in 2001 with the remodel to Camp Snoopy. Snoopy would be coming home instead of being new, as Snoopy was first introduced as a walk-around character at Worlds of Fun in 1978. Returning in 2001, the entire area would receive a “woodsy” motif, along with the new “Summer Camp” theme, Two new rides would be added, including the S&S Woodstock’s Airmail  (Today’s Kite Eating Tree), and the Zamperla Rides Camp Bus (also still there). Fascinating enough, Camp Bus is the only section of today’s Planet Snoopy that retains its original Camp Snoopy theming. 

Concept art from Patriot

20th Anniversary 2006, Patriot and Asylum Island

Mindblowing that it is that Patriot is now almost 20 years old, it feels like only yesterday that it was brand new. Replacing the previously mentioned Beat Street, Patriot re-themed the area as Patriot Landing and reused a portion of the original River City/Beat Street Landing as its gift shop. Patriot is an inverted coaster designed and built by the Swiss firm of Bolliger and Mabillard. Built for a cost of $14 million in 2006, it was the most expensive capital expenditure in park history at that point. Patriot features four inversions, along with a 149-foot lift and a 123-foot first drop. Its most unique feature, however, is its white stripe down the spine of the track, a feature that was hand re-painted as part of the 2020 re-painting of Patriot. As most can surmise, Patriot was built to replace the 1980 Arrow multi-looper Orient Express and while they don’t occupy the same space, Patriot does anchor that side of the park in much the same way Orient Express did. 

In Haunt history, Asylum Island would open on September 23, 2006 as Worlds of Fun's 6th extreme haunt, and Haunt would never be the same. Truthfully, Asylum Island propelled Halloweekends (as it was known then) to a whole new level, it was the first time in Halloweekends/Haunt history that any Haunt would have 2-3 hour plus lines. In 2016, halfway through the Haunt Season, Asylum Island would be re-named to Urgent Scare, and which would close and be replaced in 2018.

Concept art for Planet Snoopy 2011

15th Anniversary 2011, Planet Snoopy, Woodstock’s Whirybirds, Lucy’s Tugboat, Sally’s Swing Set, Peanut’s Road Rally, Flying Ace Balloon Race, Peanuts 500 and Snoopy’s Rocket Express

Camp Snoopy is celebrating its 25th anniversary, so it's ironic that its replacement, Planet Snoopy, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Further expanding on Camp Snoopy and re-theming the area to a more “spacey” theme, complete with bright primary colors, Planet Snoopy is still called Camp Snoopy by many who just can’t twist their minds around the new name… 15 years later (myself included). As part of the Planet Snoopy expansion, the park added seven new rides by Zamperla manufacturing, including Woodstock Whirlybirds (tea cups), Lucy’s Tugboat (Rockin’ Tug), Sally’s Swing Set, Peanut’s Road Rally, Flying Ace Balloon Race (Sambo Tower), Peanuts 500 (whip), and Snoopy’s Rocket Express. 

Grand Carrousel under assembly at the park on May 11, 2011

Along with Planet Snoopy, the park also installed its oldest attraction, by far, in park history, the Grand Carrousel. Grand Carrousel was relocated from the defunct Geauga Lake and fully restored prior to its installation. Originally hand carved by M.C. Illions of Coney Island, there has been some disagreement regarding the year the carousel was built (some places say 1918 and some 1926), and whether it's an Illion’s Supreme or Superior (two slightly different models). Regardless, it is still a beautiful feature for the front of the park, if only the park could get the antique band organ back up and working!

Last item of business for the 15th anniversary season belongs to Haunt, London Terror would premiere as a fright zone, replacing Dominion of Doom in 2011, five years later it would be moved to Americana and become London Terror Square, a haunt that still exists to this day known as Ripper Alley.

Woodstock Gliders, one of the new rides for 2016

Several rides added in 2016 including Snoopy Junction. Linus Launchers and Space Buggies. 

Grand Re-Opening 2011 Blog! http://unwof.blogspot.com/2011/06/grand-re-opening-weekend.html

10th Anniversary 2016, Woodstock Gliders, Beagle Brigade Airfield, Snoopy Space Buggies, Linus Launcher, and Snoopy Junction added to Planet Snoopy 

BUT WAIT! There’s more! More  Camp/Planet Snoopy fun! In 2016, that was 10 years ago (gasp!) Worlds of Fun even further expanded its kids area with five new rides, making it at the time the biggest kids area in the then Cedar Fair chain. The five expansion rides included Woodstock Gliders (Larson Flying Skooters), Beagle Brigade Airfield, Snoopy Space Buggies, Linus Launcher, and Snoopy Junction (Zamperla). 

5th Anniversary 2021, Riptide Racers opens at Oceans of Fun

Last but not least is 2021, or what many called at the time “Worlds of Fun lite,” as this was the season following the extremely brief 2020 Covid-19 season. Riptide Racers was originally scheduled to open in 2020 with Oceans of Fun, but as Oceans of Fun never opened in 2020, it became the new attraction for 2021. Riptide Racers would replace Diamond Head slides, an original 1982 attraction at Oceans of Fun. Built by White Water, Riptide Racers was the longest mat slide attraction in the Midwest when it opened. 

Worlds of Fun 2nd Weekend Review (2021 season): http://unwof.blogspot.com/2021/06/worlds-of-fun-and-oceans-of-fun-second.html